Milland, St Luke
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Cast |
Canon |
Hanging |
1 |
3-1-8 cwt |
25.94" |
1224.9 Hz |
D# |
John Taylor & Co |
1886 |
Removed |
Full Circle |
2 |
4-0-13 cwt |
28.06" |
1095 Hz |
C# |
John Taylor & Co |
1886 |
Removed |
Full Circle |
3 |
5-1-11 cwt |
30.18" |
978.7 Hz |
B |
John Taylor & Co |
1886 |
Removed |
Full Circle |
4 |
6-1-7 cwt |
33.13" |
916.3 Hz |
A# |
John Taylor & Co |
1886 |
Removed |
Full Circle |
5 |
8-3-18 cwt |
36.38" |
821.5 Hz |
G# |
John Taylor & Co |
1886 |
Full Circle |
|
6 |
11-2-3 cwt |
41.00" |
732.1 Hz |
F# |
John Taylor & Co |
1886 |
Full Circle |
About the Bells
6 Bells, 11-2-3 cwt in F#
Milland has a ring of 6 bells tightly packed into a West facing tower. The tower was built by W. C. Street (brother of the churchwarden) in 1878, though it was not complete until 1880. It replaces the old 11th century church behind it know as Tuxlith chapel. 100
6 years later, a peal of 6 bells was cast by John Taylor & Co, Loughborough using all the space possible in the belfry.
The bells are rung from the ground floor by 6 red and yellow sallied ropes in the clockwise fashion.
There is quite a long draft that is fortunately guided.
A spiral staircase in the north west corner first takes you to the intermediate chamber.
Shoots for the ropes draw them at angles up to 10 degrees to form a rope circle. Some of them are also drawn in the belfry. This could have also been a clock room due to circular pits in the wall outside.
Continuing up the stairs, you reach the belfry.
This is one of the more interesting installations I've seen, and also one of the most challenging to get around in too!
You enter the belfry on the top level. The first bell you come to is the treble.
Bells 1,2,3 & 4 are hung above in a 4.2 frame consisting of cast iron trusses in the shape of an A. This is of course a modification of the H.1 truss. If Milland had this in lieu of the A, it would be close to impossible to fit the bells in, let alone be able to manoeuvre around the belfry. The Sills and long heads are wooden.
The treble is hung in the Northern pit and swings East to West. This bell, like all the others, has quite a lengthy inscription. It is dedicated to Alexander Mackdonald who was owner of Milland House.
Moving clockwise, we come to the second in the Eastern pit. This bell swing North to South and is dedicated to Charles and John Longbourne who were also men of Milland. An interesting feature of this bell is that the stay and slider have red fabric around them, possibly an attempt to alter how deep set the bell is or to make it less noisy? The rope is drawn back under the wheel to avoid the rope being too close to the North wall. In fact, in the belfry there is a hole carved into the wall as a clearance groove for the wheel.
The third is hung in the Southern pit and the rope isn't drawn at all and falls straight.
This bell is a memorial to the second Vicar of Milland, Rev. Edward Durnford. The line of poetry around the lower half of the waist apparently comes from Romeo and Juliet Act 2.
We now move on to the 4th. Following this, we can discuss these bells collectively.
The 4th is hung in the Western pit and swings North to South. It is a memorial to Rev. John Henry Clayton and John Moore Heath, First Vicar of Milland and the late owner of Milland House respectively.
Looking at the front 4 bells, they all had a canon which has since been removed.
Similar to Beddingham, St Andrew, the 4.2 frame layout was used to arrange these bells so all forces on the tower are equal and form a good rope circle.
Having a 4.2 frame also means that a hole in the middle called a well hole is formed.
The two tenors are hung below the front 4 and are accessed by a small vertical ladder.
The tenor is the first bell you come to and is the only one inscribed with BELLFOVNDERS instead of FOVNDERS. This isn't shown in Sussex Bells and Belfries though. Like the 5th, it swing east to west.
Bell 5 is south of the tenor and features the shortest inscription. It appears that the donor was George Street and has been named The Churchwarden bell. The line "ring out the false ring in the true" from the poem Wild Bells is also inscribed on the waist.
All 6 bells have the Latin forms of a J and U. For example the word Justice on the tenor becomes Ivstice. Each bell has:
I : TAYLOR AND CO FOVNDERS LOVGHBOROVGH 1886.
around the inscription band and they all have something on the waist.
Interestingly, the two tenors were not cast with canons, but the front four were.
In 1939, John Taylor & Co rehung the peal of six bells on new gudgeons and ball bearings. All the wheels were re-shrouded and new bolts for the wheels were also provided. The two tenors were given new sliders and the treble had a new stay fitted. All was completed by March 1st.
On April 2nd, a peal of Grandsire Doubles was rung to by an all local band to commemorate the rehanging. 101
In 2012, the bells were rehung on new fittings by White of Appleton. The canons on the front 4 were removed; new headstocks, stays and sliders were provided along with new clappers; the bells were retuned and new clappers were made.
They were then rehung back in the existing frame. 102
Even though it isn't the most easiest belfry to get around in, the bells are incredibly well kept and are in a fantastic condition.
Visited:
.15/01/2023 with Francesco and Luca Greenslade
Milland has a ring of 6 bells tightly packed into a West facing tower. The tower was built by W. C. Street (brother of the churchwarden) in 1878, though it was not complete until 1880. It replaces the old 11th century church behind it know as Tuxlith chapel. 100
6 years later, a peal of 6 bells was cast by John Taylor & Co, Loughborough using all the space possible in the belfry.
The bells are rung from the ground floor by 6 red and yellow sallied ropes in the clockwise fashion.
There is quite a long draft that is fortunately guided.
A spiral staircase in the north west corner first takes you to the intermediate chamber.
Shoots for the ropes draw them at angles up to 10 degrees to form a rope circle. Some of them are also drawn in the belfry. This could have also been a clock room due to circular pits in the wall outside.
Continuing up the stairs, you reach the belfry.
This is one of the more interesting installations I've seen, and also one of the most challenging to get around in too!
You enter the belfry on the top level. The first bell you come to is the treble.
Bells 1,2,3 & 4 are hung above in a 4.2 frame consisting of cast iron trusses in the shape of an A. This is of course a modification of the H.1 truss. If Milland had this in lieu of the A, it would be close to impossible to fit the bells in, let alone be able to manoeuvre around the belfry. The Sills and long heads are wooden.
The treble is hung in the Northern pit and swings East to West. This bell, like all the others, has quite a lengthy inscription. It is dedicated to Alexander Mackdonald who was owner of Milland House.
Moving clockwise, we come to the second in the Eastern pit. This bell swing North to South and is dedicated to Charles and John Longbourne who were also men of Milland. An interesting feature of this bell is that the stay and slider have red fabric around them, possibly an attempt to alter how deep set the bell is or to make it less noisy? The rope is drawn back under the wheel to avoid the rope being too close to the North wall. In fact, in the belfry there is a hole carved into the wall as a clearance groove for the wheel.
The third is hung in the Southern pit and the rope isn't drawn at all and falls straight.
This bell is a memorial to the second Vicar of Milland, Rev. Edward Durnford. The line of poetry around the lower half of the waist apparently comes from Romeo and Juliet Act 2.
We now move on to the 4th. Following this, we can discuss these bells collectively.
The 4th is hung in the Western pit and swings North to South. It is a memorial to Rev. John Henry Clayton and John Moore Heath, First Vicar of Milland and the late owner of Milland House respectively.
Looking at the front 4 bells, they all had a canon which has since been removed.
Similar to Beddingham, St Andrew, the 4.2 frame layout was used to arrange these bells so all forces on the tower are equal and form a good rope circle.
Having a 4.2 frame also means that a hole in the middle called a well hole is formed.
The two tenors are hung below the front 4 and are accessed by a small vertical ladder.
The tenor is the first bell you come to and is the only one inscribed with BELLFOVNDERS instead of FOVNDERS. This isn't shown in Sussex Bells and Belfries though. Like the 5th, it swing east to west.
Bell 5 is south of the tenor and features the shortest inscription. It appears that the donor was George Street and has been named The Churchwarden bell. The line "ring out the false ring in the true" from the poem Wild Bells is also inscribed on the waist.
All 6 bells have the Latin forms of a J and U. For example the word Justice on the tenor becomes Ivstice. Each bell has:
I : TAYLOR AND CO FOVNDERS LOVGHBOROVGH 1886.
around the inscription band and they all have something on the waist.
Interestingly, the two tenors were not cast with canons, but the front four were.
In 1939, John Taylor & Co rehung the peal of six bells on new gudgeons and ball bearings. All the wheels were re-shrouded and new bolts for the wheels were also provided. The two tenors were given new sliders and the treble had a new stay fitted. All was completed by March 1st.
On April 2nd, a peal of Grandsire Doubles was rung to by an all local band to commemorate the rehanging. 101
In 2012, the bells were rehung on new fittings by White of Appleton. The canons on the front 4 were removed; new headstocks, stays and sliders were provided along with new clappers; the bells were retuned and new clappers were made.
They were then rehung back in the existing frame. 102
Even though it isn't the most easiest belfry to get around in, the bells are incredibly well kept and are in a fantastic condition.
Visited:
.15/01/2023 with Francesco and Luca Greenslade
Recordings of the bells:
How the bells are tuned in relation to the their nominal, using Simpson's theory.
Key [measured in cents]:
-99 ~ -90 -89 ~ -80 -79 ~ -70 -69 ~ -60 -59 ~ -50 -49 ~ -40 -39 ~ -30 -29 ~ -20 -19 ~ -10 -9 ~ -0
0 ~ 9 10 ~ 19 20 ~ 29 30 ~ 39 40 ~ 49 50 ~ 59 60 ~ 69 70 ~ 79 80 ~ 89 90 ~ 99+
-99 ~ -90 -89 ~ -80 -79 ~ -70 -69 ~ -60 -59 ~ -50 -49 ~ -40 -39 ~ -30 -29 ~ -20 -19 ~ -10 -9 ~ -0
0 ~ 9 10 ~ 19 20 ~ 29 30 ~ 39 40 ~ 49 50 ~ 59 60 ~ 69 70 ~ 79 80 ~ 89 90 ~ 99+
Bell 1
Hum - 306.5Hz - Eb-25
Prime - 613.5Hz - Eb-24
Tierce - 735.5Hz - F# -10 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 905.5Hz - A+49
Nominal - 1228Hz - Eb-22
Prime - 613.5Hz - Eb-24
Tierce - 735.5Hz - F# -10 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 905.5Hz - A+49
Nominal - 1228Hz - Eb-22
| milland1.mp3 |
Bell 2
Hum - 274Hz - Db-19
Prime - 548.5Hz - Db-17
Tierce - 651.5Hz - E-19 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 798.5Hz - G+32
Nominal - 1096Hz - Db-16
Prime - 548.5Hz - Db-17
Tierce - 651.5Hz - E-19 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 798.5Hz - G+32
Nominal - 1096Hz - Db-16
| milland2.mp3 |
Bell 3
Hum - 256Hz - C-37
Prime - 477.5Hz - B+42
Tierce - 591Hz - D+11 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 733Hz - F# -15
Nominal - 981.5Hz - B-10
Prime - 477.5Hz - B+42
Tierce - 591Hz - D+11 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 733Hz - F# -15
Nominal - 981.5Hz - B-10
| milland3.mp3 |
Bell 4
Hum - 231.5Hz - Bb-11
Prime - 457.5Hz - Bb-31
Tierce - 554.5Hz - Db+0 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 659.5Hz - E+1
Nominal - 919Hz - Bb-24
Prime - 457.5Hz - Bb-31
Tierce - 554.5Hz - Db+0 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 659.5Hz - E+1
Nominal - 919Hz - Bb-24
| milland4.mp3 |
Bell 5
Hum - 206Hz - Ab-13
Prime - 410Hz - Ab-21
Tierce - 488.5Hz - B-18 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 610Hz - Eb-33
Nominal - 821.5Hz - Ab-18
Prime - 410Hz - Ab-21
Tierce - 488.5Hz - B-18 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 610Hz - Eb-33
Nominal - 821.5Hz - Ab-18
| milland5.mp3 |
Bell 6
Hum - 187Hz - F# +19
Prime - 367Hz - F# -13
Tierce - 442.5Hz - A+10 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 528.5Hz - C+17
Nominal - 734.5Hz - F# -12
Prime - 367Hz - F# -13
Tierce - 442.5Hz - A+10 (minor 3rd)
Quint - 528.5Hz - C+17
Nominal - 734.5Hz - F# -12
| milland6.mp3 |
Before tuning in 2012
Credit to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ1U_tz3YuY&t=2031s for the recording.
| cut_millbefore.mp3 |
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is inscriptions within the inscription band*
1 |
I : TAYLOR AND CO FOVNDERS LOVGHBOROVGH 1886. MILLAND ALEXANDER I MACKDONALD PRESENT OWNER OF MILLAND HOVSE WILLIAM ABVRROW IOHN REX (SEXTON). AND PARISHIONERS. WHEN I DO CALL COME SERVE GOD ALL. |
2 |
I . TAYLOR AND CO FOVNDERS LOVGHBOROVGH 1886. IOHN V LONGBOVRNE AND CHARLES R. LONGBOVRNE WOVLD MEN LIKE VS IOIN AND AGREE THEY'D LIVE IN TVNEFVL HARNONY. |
3 |
I : TAYLOR AND CO FOVNDERS LOVGHBOROVGH 1886. IN MEMORY OF THE REV. EDWARD DVRNFORD, SECOND VICAR OF MILLAND. I WILL SOVND AND RESOVND TO THY PEOPLE LORD WITH MY SWEET VOICE TO CALL THEM TO THY WORD. |
4 |
I : TAYLOR AND CO FOUNDERS LOVGHBOROVGH 1886. IN MEMORY OF REV IOHN HENRY CLAYTON FIRST VICAR OF MILLAND AND REV. IOHN MOORE HEATH LATE OWNER OF MILLAND HOVSE. I SWEETLY TOLLING MEN DO CALL TO TASTE OF SWEETS THAT FEED THE SOUL. |
5 |
I : TAYLOR AND CO FOVNDERS LOVGHBOROVGH 1886. CHVRCH WARDEN BELL. GEORGE STREET I RING OVT THE FALSE, RING IN THE TRVE. |
6 |
I : TAYLOR AND CO BELLFOVNDERS LOVGHBOROVGH 1886. LORD IVSTICE COTTON. FOREST MERE. GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, ON EARTH PEACE, GOOD WILL TO MEN. |
Photographs:
Sources:
100 - .https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101271477-church-of-st-luke-milland#.Y8QJvnbP3IU
101 - https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1552276 & Taylors of Loughborough work book - With thanks to Chris J Pickford.
102 - https://www.whitesbellhangers.co.uk/2012-projects
100 - .https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101271477-church-of-st-luke-milland#.Y8QJvnbP3IU
101 - https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1552276 & Taylors of Loughborough work book - With thanks to Chris J Pickford.
102 - https://www.whitesbellhangers.co.uk/2012-projects
